


The Key to Change

by pushkin666



Series: Undiscovered Country [2]
Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-05
Updated: 2012-09-05
Packaged: 2017-11-13 15:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/504979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushkin666/pseuds/pushkin666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewis' work in the Supernatural Division is about to get more complicated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Key to Change

Lewis places the drinks on the table and fishes into his coat pocket, pulling out a couple of packets of nuts before sitting down. 

Laura smiles at him. “You really know how to treat a girl, Robbie. I’m presuming this isn’t on expenses then?”

“No.” He takes his jacket off and carefully folds it before putting it on the seat next to him. “Not with all of the cutbacks these days, especially in my division. The Morse days of wining and dining with the reps each month are long gone. Especially,” he raises his pint, “when they’re colleagues as well.”

Lewis isn’t bitter about that. Well, not really. He completely understands that cutbacks are necessary, but on the basis that the Supernatural Division consists of himself and a couple of constables he can use part-time he does feel that they’re stretched enough with resources as it is. One of the things he’d been promised by Innocent had been a full time Sergeant but that was yet to materialise. Keeping the reps of the supernatural community happy and on his side is worth a meal, or at least the price of a coffee or a glass of wine but putting expenses through these days causes him so much headache that it’s easier to pay it himself.

Laura shrugs and smiles. “Is it my fault that I’m a pathologist as well as a witch? No. It really isn’t.” She opens up the packets of nuts and takes a handful before pushing them over to him. “So... how’s it going with the very elusive Hathaway? I still can’t believe that you haven’t managed to persuade him to come down to the station.”

Robbie takes another mouthful of his beer and stares past Laura’s shoulder. He really doesn’t know what to say. How to respond. Hathaway leaves him feeling unsettled and he doesn’t like that. There’s something about him that makes him vaguely uncomfortable and it’s not because Hathaway is a vampire. That sort of thing has never bothered Lewis. If it did he’d be no good doing the job that he does. In fact both he and Morse had gotten on remarkably well with Hathaway’s predecessor.

It’s certainly not as though Hathaway has said or done anything. If anything he’d been remarkably helpful in assisting Lewis in the recent vampire serial killer case. In the end, the murders hadn’t been done by a vampire despite all the evidence pointing to it. Evidence that had, in fact, been deliberately planted by the real killer, a ‘Renfield’, to set up the killer of her own vampire master.

Renfield – a name and a way of life that Lewis hates. The name refers to someone who has given themselves wholly to a vampire; handed over their mind, body and soul to them. Who couldn’t live without their master. In the end, it had been kindness to hand the half-mad desperate girl over to Hathaway.

In all cases like this, the criminal was subject to both supernatural and human laws. She’d been given the choice of a trial and prison under human laws or death by vampire law. She’d chosen death, willingly chosen it, and although she’d murdered a number of people Robbie still found it very hard to totally condemn her for her crimes.

Hathaway hadn’t done that either. Had simply gathered her in his arms like a father with a child and the last Lewis had seen of them had been of Hathaway’s blonde head bent over hers, comforting her. As in all cases of this kind, there’d been paperwork to complete although the signed Notice of Death hadn’t been given to Lewis by Hathaway, who as Laura had said was yet to visit the station. Instead, one of Hathaway’s staff had visited the next day with the official documentation.

“Penny for them?” Laura says softly, breaking into his thoughts.

“Oh you know, I was just thinking about how the different races deal with things. Deal with me. Take you for example...”

Laura grins cheekily at him. “Oh yes?” she said.

“Not like that. Honestly, pet,” he shook his head. “But look at how relaxed the witches are about protocol. You don’t stand on ceremony at all. There are so many rules and regulations about meeting the Fae that it makes my head ache. Werewolves obviously have certain days that they’re unable to see me...”

“PMT,” she interrupts. “Pre Moon Tension. They can be pretty stressed around that time and then of course there are the vampires.”

“Then there are the vampires,” Robbie replies. Or really, there’s Hathaway. Tall blonde Hathaway who is nothing like Robbie expected. Who insists on weekly evening meetings that invariably seem to involve food and wine of some sort. After the first couple of occasions that he’d tried to back out of the meals without success, Lewis had simply given up. Given up and stayed for what had turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable evening.

There was no telling how old Hathaway was, when he’d become a vampire, and certainly Lewis wasn’t going to ask him. It was pretty obvious from the way Hathaway talked that he was at least a couple of centuries old, maybe even more. He was educated and had a great knowledge of many things, and there were times when Lewis could feel Hathaway’s gaze upon him and didn’t feel so old himself anymore. In fact, it was almost as if his life was starting up again, which, of course, was just ridiculous.

There was nothing in his life to look forward to. Oh there were the kids but they’d long gone now and only Lyn was left in the country. But her and his job were really all he had. Or at least that’s what he’d thought. Despite his initial misgivings about being moved back into the Supernatural Division Lewis was finding it enjoyable. Most of all though, he’d found himself beginning to look forward to his weekly meetings with Hathaway. And that’s all they were – meetings. He refused to call them anything else despite the comments and looks from Laura.

The first few meetings it had been strictly professional between them. Or certainly Lewis had tried to keep it that way but from that initial ‘Call me James’ the meetings became more and more informal and, God help him, fun. Lewis found himself relaxing around Hathaway, letting his barriers down with him, little by little. Something he hadn’t done since the death of Val. For years, he’d tried not to let himself become engaged with anything or anybody else, but lately it was becoming harder to stay like that.

Laura kicks him sharply on the ankle and Lewis jerks his head up realising he’d been woolgathering. “Sorry pet,” he says. “I was just...”

“Woolgathering. I know.” She laughs at him and stands up. “Either that or you were fantasizing about a tall blonde vampire whose name we won’t mention. Come on,” she picks her bag up, “we were meant to be shopping. I believe you said something about getting some wine for your meeting tomorrow.

Sighing in defeat, Lewis stands up. Pointless to argue with her. Laura has known him for too many years for him to start trying to put his foot down now. Besides, he is never too sure or not whether she’d carry out her threat of turning him into a frog for the weekend. “Stop worrying so much,” she tells him linking her arm through his. “Things have a way of working out the way they are meant to.”

***

The next morning it’s sunny and bright as Lewis walks into the Headquarters. He has a hangover which is totally Laura’s fault. After she’d dragged him shopping the previous evening there had been cocktails and then another bottle of wine before Laura had finally allowed him to go home.

Lewis is looking forward to a nice, calm, uneventful day at the office. He has paperwork he’s been saving up for just these occasions.

His plans, however, are completely derailed when Innocent pops her head out of her office and crooks her finger at him. “Robbie. Step in for a moment, would you. I have some good news for you.”

Lewis takes his sunglasses off as he enters her office, hoping that he doesn’t look too tired or hung-over. Thankfully, she seems to be in too good a mood to notice, or to comment at least. “You know that thing you’ve been asking for?” she says. “A full time helper in the Supernatural Division. Well, I’ve finally managed to get somebody for you.”

He stares, not really sure he’s hearing her properly. “How... Where did you get the funds for that?”

“Well, as it happens, we’re getting the assistance for free.” She shuffles some papers on her desk before looking back up at him. “It appears that Master Hathaway has learned that we’re short staffed and has kindly offered his time and experience to help you fulltime. He seems to... like you.”

‘Oh God,’ Lewis thinks, dropping his head into his hands. His life just got even more complicated than before.


End file.
